Impact Magazine - Fall 2022 | Elgin Community College

A PUBLICATION OF ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
First-Generation
Edition
Fall 2022 | Volume 29 | Issue 2
MISSION
The mission of Elgin Community
College is to improve people’s lives
through learning.
SHARED VALUES
Excellence
Freedom of Inquiry
Ethical Practices
Accountability
Collaboration
Holistic Approach
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DISTRICT 509
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Community College
District 509 Board of Trustees
meets at 6:30 p.m. on the
second Tuesday of each month,
unless otherwise posted
on the board’s web page.
All meetings are held in:
Building E, Room E125
Seigle Auditorium
Elgin Community College
1700 Spartan Drive
Elgin, IL 60123
You can access board agendas,
minutes, instructions for
addressing the board, and
board contact information at
elgin.edu/boardoftrustees.
For additional information,
contact the Office of the President
at 847-214-7374 or
dkerruish@elgin.edu.
TRUSTEES
Jennifer Rakow, BA
Chair
St. Charles
Trustee since 2017
Donna Redmer, EdD, '76
Vice Chair
Dundee
Trustee since 2009
John Duffy, MSEd
Secretary
Elgin
Trustee since 1975
Candace D. McCreary, DD
Streamwood
Trustee since 2017
Shane Nowak, MA, '02
Elgin
Trustee since 2019
Clare M. Ollayos, DC
Elgin
Trustee since 1995
Sergio Rodriguez, AA, ’06
Pingree Grove
Trustee since 2022
2 | Elgin.edu
Alison McVey
Student Trustee
Elgin
Trustee since 2022
LEADING THE WAY
A message from the ECC
President and Board Chair
Dear ECC Community,
There is always something exciting happening
at Elgin Community College, and this fall is
no exception. Our official fall enrollment is 8,920
students, representing an 11% increase over last
year. Throughout the fall, even more students
came to ECC in our 12- and eight-week late start
sessions, putting us over 9,000 enrollees. A bustling
campus reminds us that ECC is a special place that
offers countless opportunities for learning
and growth.
We're also excited to move forward with the
construction of a $55 million manufacturing
center that will be built near our main Spartan
Drive entrance. This pioneering space will house
the computer numeric control (CNC) machine
program; heating, air conditioning, ventilation,
and refrigeration (HVAC-R); energy management;
industrial maintenance and mechatronics; welding;
and a new pipe welding program that previously
stalled due to space limitations. We also plan
to offer space for community innovation, idea
incubation, and 3D printing labs. Increasing our
capacity to prepare the next generation of the
manufacturing workforce is critical for continued
growth and stability in our communities and
our nation as a whole, as well as for meeting the
evolving needs of our region's employers.
Ensuring our students and communities have
David Sam,
PhD, JD, LLM
President
FEATURED FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS
3 Leslie Gracia, The Leader
4 Michael Lacala, The Healer
6 Kristina Brown, The Generation Changer
8 Yesenia Arroyo, The Artist
10 Habeeb Awolumate, The Risk-Taker
access to the educational resources needed is
at the core of ECC's mission to improve people's
lives through learning. We see no better evidence
of succeeding in our mission than sharing the
stories of our remarkable students, employees,
and alumni. In this issue, we learn about five firstgeneration
ECC students: Leslie, Michael, Kristina,
Yesenia, and Habeeb. First-generation students
identify as the first in their family to attend
college or for which neither parent nor guardian
graduated from a college or university in the
United States. More than 35% of ECC's students are
considered 'first-gen.'
Many first-gen students face additional language
and financial obstacles, along with balancing
work and family responsibilities with schoolwork.
At ECC, these students don't have to face these
challenges alone. Programs such as the Alliance for
College and Career Student Success, Talent Search
Transitions, Upward Bound, and TRiO all offer
resources to help students navigate a path to and
through college. ECC also offers robust financial
aid options and scholarships specifically for firstgen
students.
We hope you are just as inspired as we are by
the stories of determination and drive shared
in this issue. Our first-gen students are shining
examples of all that is possible at ECC. If you or
someone close to you is considering attending
college for the first time, returning to learn new
skills, or exploring a different career, we would love
to meet you. ECC is here to welcome you
and ensure your success. Thank you for your
continued support.
Jennifer Rakow, BA
Chair, Board
of Trustees
ON THE COVER:
Leslie Gracia, a leader
for ECC’s student body.
Impact (USPS 013-896) November 21, 2022, is published four times a year, October, November, March, and June by Elgin Community College,
1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin, IL 60123-7193. Volume 29, Issue 2. Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, IL 60123-7193. Periodical
postage paid at Elgin, IL 60120. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin, IL 60123-7193.
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